The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 439 What? Xianfeng wants to lead the army to fight against the Russians? (Please subscribe and vote)
Hong Xiuquan was like finding a treasure. He took the booklet that Luo Yaoguo had stuffed into his hand and happily returned to his Golden Dragon City. He was thinking about how to command his "True Protestant" group to go abroad to "dance the gods" and build colonies and accumulate strength! On the other hand, as the Prime Minister of the Heavenly Kingdom, Luo Yaoguo had too many things to consider.

Prime Minister of a country! This title sounds impressive, but who knows the hard work behind it? Is he like a clockwork alarm clock, ticking all day long?
Moreover, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom is really in a precarious situation at the moment. The civil war with the Qing demons has not yet ended, and natural disasters are happening one after another. And that's not the end. It is in the early stages of transforming from an agricultural society to an industrial society, and the contradiction between a large population and limited land is about to burst the society. Given the national conditions, it is necessary to carry out this major transformation that can only succeed and cannot fail. Just thinking about it makes people feel overwhelmed.

These things, just going through them in my mind, are like untangling a tangled knot. It's so difficult to even think about it!
Even though Luo Yaoguo had a brain that could predict the future, looking at this mess that was rotten to the core, he couldn't help but murmur: This situation is really too difficult!
"Prime Minister, please review the purchase list of rice and flour sent by Qichang Trading Co., Ltd., Boshun Trading Co., Ltd., Jardine Matheson Trading Co., Ltd., Remy Trading Co., and Tongshun Trading Co.."

Maria's clear voice rang in his ears, and Luo Yaoguo came back to his senses and found himself in an exceptionally bright office. Why was it so bright? It was because it was inlaid with transparent glass imported from the UK. In his eyes, as a person from the "world factory", he couldn't even make a piece of flat glass at home and had to beg for imports. He felt very uncomfortable.

But industrialization is like stewing meat over a low fire. You can't rush it. You can only be patient and take it slowly, step by step. Industrialization here has just started and it is very difficult. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom has to spend a lot of money to import food to cope with wars and famines. It really costs money like water. It's painful.

He knew that Huguang would suffer a severe drought this year, so he placed grain orders in advance in the name of Sanxin Company with several major foreign companies in Shanghai and major Chinese trading companies such as Tongshunhang, ordering 3.2 million shi of rice and 1.8 million shi of flour in one go.

It sounds like a lot, right? Five million shi! But when this amount of grain was used to fill the huge hole in Huguang, it was found to be far from enough. For this batch of grain, the family savings of the Wuwang Mansion and the Shanghai Governor's Mansion over the past year were all spent, and even the little private money that Luo Yaoguo earned from selling fortunes was used to fill the hole...

What’s even more terrible is that there will be an even more frightening drought waiting for us in the south of the Yangtze River the year after next. Just thinking about it makes my head hurt.

"Is there any other news from Shanghai?" Luo Yaoguo frowned, took the list handed to him by Maria, scanned it, and asked.

"There is also a secret letter from the Dark Hall Master Zhang Sanxiang." Maria stretched out her little hand and took out another sealed envelope.

"Tear it open." Luo Yaoguo's mind raced as he thought about how to cleverly get rid of the grain in his hands. He couldn't just give it away for free as relief. He had to find a way to put it on the market at a reasonable price to steadily suppress the price of grain. At the same time, he casually told Maria to open the letter.

"Yes." Maria responded crisply, quickly tore open the envelope, took out the letter paper filled with calligraphy, and handed it to Luo Yaoguo.

Luo Yaoguo took the letter and glanced at it. His eyes widened instantly and his mouth opened wide enough to fit a duck egg. "How is this possible?"

Maria blinked her beautiful big eyes: "Prime Minister, what's the matter?"

Luo Yaoguo muttered in a low voice: "Xianfeng... this incompetent emperor actually wants to lead the army in person to attack the Russian Empire! Is he crazy?"

Maria smiled and said, "What's so strange about this? Haven't Britain and France been fanning the flames behind the scenes, inciting the Qing demons and us to go to war with Russia?"

Luo Yaoguo shook his head like a rattle: "No, this is absolutely impossible. How could Emperor Xianfeng do such a thing? And he personally led the army to fight!"

Maria followed up by asking, "Where did Mr. Zhang get this news from?"

Luo Yaoguo said, "Zuo Jigao... is the evil governor of Zhejiang Province Zuo Jigao. Emperor Xianfeng finally showed mercy and released him! He is in Shanghai now... I have to go meet him! Maria, quickly notify Sister Yuegui and ask her to prepare the steamship and official ship. I will go to Shanghai tonight!" As he said that, he looked up at Maria, "Maria, you come with me. Sister Yuegui and Master Zhao will also go together."

"Yes." Maria nodded vigorously and turned around to make arrangements.

...On the Suzhou River, the steam engine of the small steamer roared loudly, and the official ship that Luo Yaoguo was on sailed against the wind and waves, once again approaching the increasingly prosperous and bustling Shanghai.

When he left Shanghai, he was Luo Xueyan, the Shanghai governor of the Qing Dynasty. In the blink of an eye, he returned to become the prime minister of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. The change in status was like a miracle. And if you look at the changes in Shanghai in the past few months, it is also earth-shaking.

The most eye-catching thing is the newly emerged chimneys on the north bank of Suzhou River, like towering trees following the fire. These chimneys, which have begun to puff out clouds of black smoke, are the "vanguard" of China's industrialization! It was not easy to come here. They were built brick by brick, nail by nail, and rivet by engineers and craftsmen from Europe, who led the workers who came from the countryside of southern and northern Jiangsu to Shanghai to make a living. The cement used to repair the chimneys and the factory buildings below was all Portland cement shipped all the way from England. It was really a long journey.

Along with the cement, there were steam engines, pipe parts, silk reeling machines, spinning machines, various lathes, pneumatic hammers for blacksmiths, thousands of tons of iron materials for making gun barrels and other parts, and thousands of tons of wrought iron sheets for making rails, all of which were foreign goods. Ah, why not use steel to make rails? There was no other way. At that time, the Basmer converter steelmaking process had not yet been invented. Steel was ridiculously expensive, so they could only use iron sheets wrapped around wood to make rails.

Luo Yaoguo had already drawn up a blueprint in his mind to build a railway from Wusongkou through downtown Shanghai to Anting Town. He signed a contract with a British trading company last year. At the beginning of the year, British engineers came to take measurements. At this rate of progress, construction should be imminent.

In addition to this railway, China's first machine spinning mill, the first machine silk reeling mill, and the first gun factory using steam engines, lathes, and pneumatic hammers are all springing up like mushrooms after a rain and are about to be completed and put into production.

Of course, these factories that rely on steam power and machinery are not set up by the people themselves. They are all funded by the Wu Wangfu, and are semi-official and semi-commercial. The board of directors, which consists of Wang Libin, Hu Guangyong, Tang Tingshu, Huang Sheng and others who are also Wu Wangfu staff, is responsible for daily operations. These people are now so busy that they have not been able to rest, and finally they have achieved some results.

However, Luo Yaoguo, who usually had his heart set on these modern chemical factories, had no intention of inspecting the industrial zone on the north bank of Suzhou River today. As soon as he landed at the Hunan wharf, he got into the carriage sent by the Shanghai General Administration Office, took along Shanghai General Administration Wang Kuiyi and the great master Zhang Sanxiang, and rushed straight to Zuo Zongtang's residence in Shanghai.

……

"It's for sure. Xianfeng really wants to go to war with Russia! It's not Xianfeng who wants to fight. It's Russia that's crazy. They've already gone to war with England and France, and they're sending fleets to Heilongjiang. They're also building fortresses along the banks of the Heilongjiang River, trying to occupy the birthplace of the Qing Dynasty. King Wu, if you were Xianfeng, would you be able to resist sending troops? Besides, there are Britain and France to help fight together. Even the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom will have to send troops to help this time, right? This battle is a sure win. And if Xianfeng wins, how much prestige will he gain? With prestige, those new policies he's been working on in the north can be smoothly implemented!"

In Xujiahui, inside Zuo's residence, Zuo Zongtang was talking in the living room about the reliable news he had heard from Beijing. This news was too reasonable, the cause and effect were all right, and the motive was also correct. If Zuo Zongtang took over, he would also follow Britain and France to fight a big battle. In any case, a victory in a foreign war would always greatly increase Xianfeng's prestige.

With prestige, everything will be easier in the future.

Moreover, by following Britain and France as their younger brother, they can get the support of Britain and France. With the support of Britain and France, their chances of winning against the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom will be much greater.

"It's weird, it's weird." Luo Yaoguo shook his head repeatedly. Of course he knew that Muravyov sent a fleet to patrol the Heilongjiang River in 1854. It happened in history! But didn't Emperor Xianfeng tolerate it in history? The situation in the Qing Dynasty was much better than it is now! Didn't he just treat it as if nothing happened? Why is he so excited now?
This is so weird!
"Does Xianfeng want to attack the south while making a pretext to attack the north?" Luo Yaoguo asked again.

"Impossible." Zuo Zongtang shook his head. "How could he have such strength? Moreover, he also ordered all the Eight Banners soldiers in Hangzhou and Fuzhou to be transferred to Guangzhou. It seems that he knows that Fujian and Zhejiang provinces cannot be defended, and he is preparing to concentrate his forces to defend Guangzhou. King Wu, this is a rare opportunity! Hurry up and march into Fujian and Zhejiang provinces! With me as an insider, Zhejiang will be easy to capture, right? There is only Fujian left, and it will take at most half a year to conquer it."

Luo Yaoguo frowned, shook his head gently, and muttered in a low voice: "Impossible, absolutely impossible"

Zuo Zongtang smiled and said, "King Wu, if you don't believe me, just wait a little longer. You must have spies in Beijing and Tianjin, right?"

(End of this chapter)